


The Water's Edge

by Acidqueen



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-25
Updated: 2017-04-25
Packaged: 2018-10-23 23:42:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10729728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Acidqueen/pseuds/Acidqueen
Summary: Madeleine and Kaidan formally welcome their first child with an ausa vatni





	The Water's Edge

**Author's Note:**

> An ausa vatni is a Heathen (Germanic) naming ceremony that is really more of a "coming out party" for a new baby. The ritual depicted here is taken from the ausa vatni that some friends of mine had for their eldest son. Madeleine Shepard-Alenko is Heathen, and is the only one of my Shepards to be religious in any way.

**21 April 2191  
Okanagan, BC, Earth**

The clouds parted at just the right time, letting the sun shine down on the Alenko family orchard. The apple and plum trees had recently come into bloom, their white and pinkish petals heralding the arrival of spring and filling the air with their fragrance. A large festival hall had been built in the orchard, its oak and pine beams decorated with ornate knotwork carvings and inlays. A colourful krogan-crafted banner, a gift from Wrex and Bakara, hung at the back of the hall. The banner showed a representation of Yggdrasil, the World Tree from human myth. The Normandy was shown soaring over snow-capped mountains in the background, the eagle in the topmost branch had a Spectre insignia emblazoned on its chest, and at the roots of the tree Kalros was shown in place of the legendary Jormundgandr.

Shepard and Kaidan stood at the front of the hall, Bakara towering behind them in a beautiful navy-blue brocaded dress and veil with matching leggings. Kaidan wore a short-sleeved blue silk tunic trimmed with gold and silver brocade over a comfortable pair of jeans, and a simple leather belt reminiscent of an ancient warrior’s baldric. Shepard wore the same thing, adding a necklace festooned with a stylized hammer carved of Tuchankan amber. In her arms, she carried an olive-skinned baby swaddled in a red and gold baby blanket, a single curl of black hair peeking out from underneath.

The people gathered in the hall had come from many corners of the galaxy. A small holocam hovered in a back corner of the hall, collecting video to be posted on the extranet at the request of Alliance Command and the reformed Parliament. Five years after the end of the Reaper War, the politicians wanted to send a message to the Alliance and the rest of the galaxy that hope and inter-species cooperation was still flourishing.

“What’s this called, again?” Garrus leaned toward Liara and whispered the question in her ear.

“ _Ausa vatni_ ,” Liara replied. “It’s an ancient human naming-rite where–” Garrus raised a hand to stop Liara, then pointed toward the front of the hall where Bakara had raised her arms to get everyone’s attention.

“Centuries ago,” Bakara intoned, “this day would have been far more than mere ceremony–in some ancient societies, children were not considered members of a family until their fathers acknowledged them and recognized that the child was healthy. Now, it is a celebration of life and an introduction to the world of a new family member. It is my honour to be a part of this. Let us begin.” Liara got up from her seat and joined Shepard at the front of the hall. Shepard’s mother, who was resplendent in her Alliance dress uniform, stood next to Liara, and Tali joined the group wearing an ornately-embroidered outfit that recalled the environment suits that her people no longer needed to wear. Shepard stepped forward with the baby, and laid the child at Kaidan’s feet.

“My beloved husband,” she said, looking up at Kaidan with a smile, “I have borne you a child.” Pride was evident in her voice. Kaidan returned the smile, then knelt down and picked up the baby. He looked at the baby, who was wide awake and cooing at him, and smiled.

“Five years after a long and hard-won fight against the greatest threat this galaxy has ever known,” Bakara said, “It was only fitting that the birth of their son was easy and quick. This child–a boy–was born at dawn on the first day of this world’s spring, while his parents were visiting my world of Tuchanka, and he announced his arrival to the universe with a very healthy set of lungs. If I remember correctly, the attending physicians said that he had a great future as a walking alarm system.” Everyone in the hall chuckled, including Bakara.

Bakara nodded to Kaidan, who dipped his hand into a bowl of water and sprinkled a few drops on his son’s forehead. “My son, I give you the name Michael Adrian, after your grandfathers. They aren’t here in the flesh, but they’re here in spirit.” He cuddled the baby and gave him a kiss on the forehead.

“May the gods, spirits, and ancestors watch over this child,” Admiral Shepard called out, “As they have watched over my child and her husband.” A few random shouts of “Hail!” echoed from the hall.

Kaidan handed little Michael back to Shepard, and kissed her. “I love you very much,” he whispered with a smile as he caressed her cheek. “Both of you.”

Shepard smiled back at her husband and looked down at her baby son. “Michael Adrian Shepard-Alenko,” she said, “May you have a very long life that is somewhat less eventful than the one I and your father have had–so far.” Michael made an excited sound and wriggled a chubby hand free from his wrapping. He reached up toward Shepard and tightly latched onto a lock of her hair. “And may you please not grab Mommy’s hair like that,” she said, gently disengaging her son’s grip and eliciting more chuckling from everyone in the hall. She kissed Michael on the cheek and tucked his hand back under the blanket. Michael blew out through pursed lips to express his displeasure with the situation, but settled down when Shepard gave him a pacifier and put him in a portable baby bassinet.

“Michael Adrian Shepard-Alenko,” Bakara announced, “is now a full member of the community, with all rights and privileges that come with such. Would the children in the hall please come forward?” A small group of children of various species–-mostly krogan, but also a handful of others, war orphans that had been adopted by members of the Normandy crew–-popped up from their seats and trotted to the front of the hall. They all stood and looked up at Bakara, who smiled down at them. “Do you promise to be kind to this child,” she asked, “and be a good example to him?” The children all nodded. The eldest of the krogan children-–Bakara and Wrex’s daughter, Mordin–-leaned over and planted a kiss on Michael’s forehead, eliciting another sputtering sound and a giggle from the baby, who had spit his pacifier out.

Shepard then got out a box and gave each child a small trinket and a hug. They all scampered back to their seats carrying their prizes, giggling and chatting excitedly for a few moments until their parents hushed them. James stepped up, dressed in a bright red short-sleeved tunic and wearing a large gold arm-ring over his left bicep. He was carrying an enormous cow horn that had been hollowed out, polished, and lined with a food-grade polymer. He filled the horn with water, and raised it. “Here’s to little Michael,” he said, voice booming through the hall. “Cuter than his dad and smarter than his mom. May he grow up to kick just as much ass as they did.” He winked and grinned at Shepard and Kaidan, then took a huge swig from the horn while everyone laughed again.

“Does anyone else have a toast or a gift to offer to the baby?” Bakara asked.

“I do.” Javik stood, and walked to the front of the hall. He was wearing a shining black battlesuit that looked like the one he wore when he was revived on Eden Prime, but was a good deal more ornate–the Prothean equivalent of a dress uniform. He took out a rough facsimile of a Prothean memory shard that looked like the one he’d had with him in that stasis pod, and tucked it in the bassinet. “To you, Michael, I offer the memory of your parents’ fight against the Reapers. When you are older, this will help you to understand why your birth means a great deal to so many.” The hall had fallen pin-drop silent for a moment, and Javik smiled. “And if you decide to follow in the footsteps of your parents and become a warrior, it would be my greatest honour to be your battle-instructor.” Shepard and Kaidan smiled at Javik, who bowed and returned to his seat.

Bakara announced that the horn would now go around the room, and that those who wished to toast the baby or offer him gifts were welcome to do so. A small pile of gifts formed next to Michael’s bassinet. A stone sculpture of a thresher maw from Wrex and Bakara, an intricate Geth holo-puzzle and a combat drone from Tali, a disc of rachni songs, and other items that would either have some use or meaning to the baby as he grew up. Toasts were offered to the baby’s health, happiness, and possible future career aspirations. Finally, James offered the horn to Bakara, who took it and raised it high over her head.

“Michael,” she said, voice quavering slightly. “Many will compare you to your parents. You will hear stories about their heroism, how they united a fractured galaxy to bring down its greatest threat and how they ended the thousand-year sorrow of an entire planet. Be proud of them and what they have done, but forge your own path, and always know that you are loved, more than words can express.” She took a drink from the horn and handed it back to James. “The ceremony is now ended.”

Many of the guests departed or retreated to the orchard’s guest house after dinner, leaving Shepard and Kaidan on the farmhouse’s porch swing watching the sunset in each others’ arms. Michael snoozed in his bassinet. “We did a good thing, didn’t we?” Kaidan asked, giving Shepard a tender squeeze.

Shepard smiled. “We certainly did.” She settled deeper into Kaidan’s embrace. “Whatever our boy does with his life, he’ll do his best I’m sure.” A faint buzzing sound made them look up to see a black beetle with a splash of flame-orange across the front of its carapace lazily flying around Michael’s bassinet. The insect landed on the baby’s chest and shook its wings, then sat there for a minute before taking flight again. It flew around Shepard and Kaidan a couple of times, then buzzed off into the fading springtime sun.


End file.
